When choosing the right project management software depends on very many factors and as a project manager you should choose a tool that makes sense to you nature of job. As a project manager, you should as well be cautious about what the tool will do and how it will help you do the work.
There are several options to consider on the market but the question is, when you are given a chance to choose the best management software, what will be your crucial factors to consider? As a manager, you are in control of the project and you know exactly what you need for your project. There are general factors that are crucial and can be helpful to any project manager to choose which tools are the best if given a list of both the best and those which just fit doing the task. Below are some of the important things to consider when choosing the best project management tool for example monday.com vs trello:
Ease to use
It can be very tiresome and annoying to buy something that will complicate everything and even require you to have some training to understand how it works. The first thing that is useful when you need the best tool for your project management is the ease of use. The tool should be that which you don’t need a lot of training no training at all to use it. An easy to use tool saves time and is best for you and for your team. Before you get committed in purchasing it, it is essentially important to have an idea how it is working so that you don’t regret later.
Collaboration
For teams to work together and with good coordination there must be collaboration. The best project management tool therefore should have collaboration as one of the important features. With collaboration in the project, members can easily contribute input step by step until the project is accomplished.
Customization
When choosing the best project management tool, look for that which can easily be customized so that you do not change the whole format or running of the organization when there is introduction of a new system. Project management tools come in different levels of customization so it is very important you consider the level of customization which best suits the needs of your organization. It should be highly flexible because most of the time the demands and working patterns in the project management sector keeps on changing with time.
Scheduling Tools
The best tool for any project should be able to help a project manager manage projects well and as planned. Choosing a professional grade scheduling software will help you display all project plans in a format of Gantt chart. Gantt chart helps in displaying a list of tasks to be performed in a given project. Gantt chart software could be the right option for such a task and especially if the projects are quite small and the team you involve are also small. If the project and team is large, you will require something which is greater than this to manage the tasks.
Task Management
Task management features are top priority that should be considered as it goes hand in hand with Gantt charts. Task management should also be able to assign the given tasks to the rest of the team members in the project. This is important because every team member in the project knows what to do. Tasks in a project should be ordered so that it makes sense to the Project manager. The best way is to group them target completion dates added. Task management should be able to send mail alerts to members dealing with work completion. This can be a bonus requirement.
Should be able to share externally
Plans and tasks carried out in the project should be able to be shared to the rest of the project team. The best tool for the project management should also be available to guests. When you are dealing with contractors and third parties in your project, this feature becomes important as you will have easy time engaging them in the tasks. This is where cloud-based online programs are popular and much effective.
Real-Time Reporting
Real-time reporting tool is essential in project management because it helps the manager save time. Real-time reporting helps collect all necessary information from different places in the project management. It will then use it to make reports that define the status of the project being worked on.
Graphical Reports and Dashboards
When looking for the best project management tool, it is good to consider that which features dashboards and graphical reports. A project management tool deals with reports and you need a tool that will display your reports in a form of graphs. Although this isn’t a defining factor of the best tool, dashboards and charts are somehow handy and can be the best platform where most sponsors and stakeholders respond better compared to written reports. Also, if you choose a tool with graphical reports and dashboards, go for that which has the ability to be tailored an individual stakeholder.
Security
With all the features mentioned in this review, your project management tool can work best for you but if it lacks security features then your information in the system is at risk and lacks some integrity as well. When selecting the best tool for your project, choose the one that has useful security options. If your tool is being hosted online, look for the software provider who has the software with 128-bit encryption. It is important that you have a separate hosting platform dedicated to protect the data of your clients from hackers and other unwanted users.
Attractive interface
Functionality is one of the best features you should look for in the best feature for the project management tool. The market outside has several tools and some have an old-fashioned interface. A professional interface makes your work attractive and will give you and your colleagues a desire to use it.